This invention relates generally to spas having a plurality of therapy stations each of which includes a plurality of hydrotherapy jets. More particularly, the invention relates to a water distribution and jet flow control system for such a spa.
Bathing appliances in the nature of spas or hot tubs have become commercially successful. These spas are typically constructed as a molded shell to form a water containment or fluid enclosure having a footwell or floor and an upstanding sidewall. Molded within the enclosure are a plurality of therapy stations which may include seats or platforms for reclining. The shell is typically constructed of fiberglass, plastic or a similar material, or a composite of such materials. One or more pumps are usually placed under the shell to draw water from the enclosure and discharge it, usually with air, into the enclosure through a plurality of nozzles or jets of various types. The jets are usually mounted through the shell in either or both of the floor and sidewall. Typically, jets mounted through the sidewall are located below the water line of the spa, and in any event, the jets are designed to provide a comforting or therapeutic effect to a person occupying a therapy station. Water lines are provided between the various jets, pumps and water inlet ports, and are usually comprised of PVC piping and flexible tubing. Various filters, heaters, cleaning units and diverter valves may also be provided in the typical spa.
Conventional hot tubs or spas generally have three or four main therapy stations or seats, typically a lounge seat and a pair of corner seats, or four corner seats. They may also have one or more side stations or seats. All of these stations are usually provided with a number of jets through which warm water is forced to provide the hydrotherapy effects. These spas circulate and pump the water through the jets using one or two pumps, which are typically located on one, side of the spa for convenient access. Consequently, the system requires piping of significant length, diameter and complexity, and usually a number of diverter valves. Because of the significant lengths of piping between the pumps and the jets, significant frictional losses are encountered. In order to compensate for these frictional losses, conventional spas are usually provided with large pumps and motors. The typical spa of conventional design will have two 6 HP pumps, each of which has an output capacity at the pump of 230 gallons/minute. When one of these pumps of a conventional spa is operated, water is forced through jets at more than one station or seat, even if only one seat is occupied.
In recognition of some of these problems, spas have been developed that employ unitary hydrotherapy jet and pump assemblies, in which a pump is provided for each jet. Such assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,987 of Jaworski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,168 of Mersmann and U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,954 of Idland. Such assemblies are limited to spas having only a few jets and would not be practical in a large spa having a plurality of jets at each of a plurality of therapy stations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,073 of Eddington describes a system for adjusting the distribution of water flow between two supply pumps and the various therapy stations of a spa. A water supply line that is in fluid communication with all the jets is also connected to the pump outlets of the two pumps. Diverter valves are placed in the supply line on opposite sides of each therapy station or at other locations between the therapy stations. By setting one of the diverter valves to the xe2x80x9cclosedxe2x80x9d position, the flow will be blocked between one therapy station and the adjacent one. This will serve to divide the jets between the two pumps, so that one or more therapy stations are supplied by one pump and the remainder by the other pump. In one embodiment of the Eddington device, a manifold is used to connect several jets in a therapy station to a water supply line, and diverter valves serve to divide the flow between the two pumps and the various jet manifolds. Although the Eddington system represents an improvement over the typical conventional system described above, it still requires piping of significant length, diameter and complexity, which leads to significant frictional losses. Such a system would still require large pumps and motors in order to compensate for these frictional losses.
It would be desirable if a spa could be provided that would provide the therapeutic effects of conventional spas through a number of jets at each therapy station without requiring the large pumps and motors of conventional systems. It would also be desirable if such a system could be provided that would include a separate control system for each therapy station.
An advantage of the invention is that by providing a motor for driving the hydrotherapy pump at each therapy station, less electricity is consumed than is consumed by a conventional spa having larger motors, each of which drives a pump for a plurality of therapy stations. Another advantage of the invention is that by employing a plurality of smaller motors than are used in a conventional spa, less motor noise is produced. Still another advantage of the invention is that by providing a pump for each therapy station, smaller and shorter fluid lines to the jets may be employed, thereby minimizing frictional losses.
An advantage of a preferred embodiment of the invention is that the variable flow controller which utilizes an air induction switch may be operated with a smaller pump and motor than in a conventional spa to obtain the effects of conventional jet flow. Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the invention is that the variable flow controller which utilizes an air induction switch may provide a plurality of different flow control settings, all of which may be obtained by operation of a single-speed motor.
Additional objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from an examination of the drawings and the ensuing description.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cjetxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfluid jetxe2x80x9d refers to an orifice or nozzle through which a fluid such as water may be pumped, discharged of dispensed into the fluid enclosure of a spa for therapeutic effect.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cspaxe2x80x9d or hot tub refers to a bathing appliance that is adapted to contain a fluid such as water and which includes a plurality of therapy stations that may be occupied by a person, each of which stations include one or more jets. Jets may be provided in various shapes and sizes to produce various therapeutic effects.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cswitchless motorxe2x80x9d means a motor having a start winding and a running winding but not a mechanical mechanism or switch that takes the start winding out of the operating circuit when the motor reaches a certain speed.
The invention is a spa comprising a fluid enclosure having a floor and an upstanding sidewall, and a plurality of therapy stations within the enclosure. A hydrotherapy assembly is provided for each therapy station, with each such assembly including a plurality of fluid jets in the floor or sidewall of the enclosure and a fluid inlet through the floor or sidewall of the enclosure. Each hydrotherapy assembly also includes a fluid pump having a suction port that is in fluid communication with the inlet and a discharge port that is in fluid communication with the jets. The pump is adapted to move fluid from the enclosure through the fluid inlet and suction port and back through the discharge port and the jets into the enclosure. A variable flow controller is also provided for each hydrotherapy station, which controller is adapted to control the flow of fluid from the discharge port of the pump through the jets into the enclosure.